If you're here reading Outback Equipment reviews, wondering why your order still hasn't shipped, or you've just typed "Outback Equipment scam" into Google, this post was written for you. On 26 March 2026 I paid Outback Equipment $261.50 for a canvas Bush Company 270 XT MAX awning bag. Six months later I have no bag and no refund. The dispatch took 75 days against an advertised 4 weeks. The product that finally arrived was the wrong model in the wrong material, and the best part is that Outback Equipment's own product description explains exactly why that material is inferior. They then took the item back on their own prepaid label, committed in writing to refunding my card, and the refund never came. Every step is documented below with invoices, emails, photos and tracking records, so stick with me to the end, because the ending involves American Express.
Before we get into it: everything in this post is my own documented experience as a paying customer of Outback Equipment (AUST) Pty Ltd. Every claim below is backed by an invoice, an email, a tracking record or a photo, and I've included them throughout. Nothing here is second hand.
What I ordered: The Bush Company Awning Bag 270 XT MAX
On 26 March 2026 I ordered a replacement awning bag from outbackequipment.com.au:
- Product: The Bush Company Awning Bag 270 XT MAX Left Hand
- SKU: 4RTBSMSPABL
- Price: $260.00, less a $13.00 discount, plus $14.50 shipping. Total $261.50, paid in full by credit card on the day of order.
- Invoice: N1340209
At the time of purchase, the product listing stated "Dispatch in 4 weeks". The listing also described exactly what the product is. Quoting their own product page:
"The Bush Company awning bags are 460gsm (16.2oz) poly-cotton rip-stop canvas with YKK Zippers. In contrast to PVC covers, the canvas allows the awning to breath while keeping it dust/dirt free and moisture is able to wick out through the zipper reducing the risk of mould or mildew."
Hold that thought. It matters later.
The timeline: 4 weeks advertised, 75 days actual
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 26 March 2026 | Order placed and paid in full. Listing states dispatch in 4 weeks. |
| 31 March 2026 | Outback Equipment support confirms by email the order has not shipped, restates the "up to 4 weeks" timeframe, and says it "could be here within 2 weeks". |
| 23 April 2026 | The 4 week dispatch window closes. Nothing has shipped. |
| 9 June 2026 | Dispatch notification finally arrives. That is 75 days after the order was placed, nearly 11 weeks against an advertised 4. |
| 12 June 2026 | Parcel delivered. |
Seventy five days from payment to dispatch, with the money sitting in their account the whole time. At no point between 31 March and 9 June did Outback Equipment contact me to say the order was delayed beyond the advertised window. The only update I received during that period was the one I chased myself.
What actually arrived: wrong product, wrong material
Here's where it goes from slow to wrong. The bag that turned up has two problems.
1. It's the wrong product. I ordered the bag for The Bush Company 270 XT MAX awning. The bag they sent is labelled for the 270 XT. They are different awnings, and the bags are not interchangeable. You can see it side by side in the photo below: my original worn out bag is embroidered "270 XT Max Awning". The replacement they sent is embroidered "270 XT Awning". No Max.
2. It's the wrong material. The listing I bought from describes, in their own words quoted above, a 460gsm poly-cotton rip-stop canvas bag, and specifically pitches the canvas "in contrast to PVC covers" as the whole reason the product is worth buying. The bag that arrived is PVC. The exact material their own product description tells you the product is better than.
So after 11 weeks I received a product that does not match the SKU I paid for, made from a material the listing explicitly distinguishes itself from.
The return went back. The refund never came.
I reported the incorrect item to Outback Equipment by email on 9 August 2026. On 14 August their support team replied, apologised for the incorrect item, attached a prepaid Australia Post return label, and stated in writing that once the item arrived at their warehouse, their returns team would "process the return and issue a refund to your original payment method".
So I sent it back. Here's that leg of the journey, straight from Australia Post tracking:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 9 August 2026 | I report the incorrect item by email. |
| 14 August 2026 | Outback Equipment replies, supplies a prepaid return label and confirms in writing a refund to my original payment method once the return is processed. |
| 24 August 2026 | Return parcel lodged with Australia Post. |
| 26 August 2026 | Tracking confirms the parcel delivered back to sender at Acacia Ridge QLD, 1.23pm. |
| 1 October 2026 | Still no refund. |
As at 1 October 2026, no refund has been received. That is 36 days since tracking confirms Outback Equipment received the returned item, and 48 days since they committed in writing to refunding my original payment method. Since 26 August they have held both the returned product and my $261.50.
With the written refund commitment unmet, I have lodged a chargeback dispute through American Express. The documentation you're reading in this post is the same documentation supporting that dispute.
Is Outback Equipment a scam?
If you've landed here after searching "Outback Equipment scam", you're not the only one typing that into Google, and I understand why. A scam implies intent, and I can't see inside their business, so I won't call it that. What I can tell you, as documented fact, is what happened to my order: they took full payment on day one, dispatched 75 days later against an advertised 4 weeks, provided no proactive communication about the delay, shipped a product that does not match the listing I paid against, took the wrong item back on their own prepaid label with a written commitment to refund, and then did not refund. At the time of writing they have held both the returned product and my money for over a month.
I also went looking to see whether I'd been unlucky. At the time of writing, Outback Equipment holds a rating of 3.7 stars on Google and 3.3 stars on ProductReview.com.au. The recurring themes in recent negative reviews are the same ones I ran into: items advertised without stock on hand, extended delays after payment is taken, and communication that only happens when the customer chases it. Multiple reviewers describe being offered store credit instead of refunds, and some report resorting to chargebacks.
Read them yourself and make up your own mind. I'm not asking you to take my word for the pattern. I'm only telling you my order fit it.
The Bush Company reviews: this is not on the manufacturer
Worth being crystal clear here, because search results tend to blur retailer and brand together. My issue is with the retailer, Outback Equipment, not with The Bush Company.
I've run a genuine Bush Company 270 XT MAX awning on the Amarok for years, and the original canvas bag it shipped with copped years of scrub, rain and red dust before it wore out, which is the only reason I was buying a replacement at all. If you're researching The Bush Company 270 XT MAX awning itself, my experience with the product has been the opposite of my experience with this retailer. My advice is simply to buy Bush Company gear from The Bush Company directly or from a retailer that ships what you paid for.
Where you stand if this happens to you
None of this is a grey area. Under the Australian Consumer Law:
- Goods must match their description. A PVC bag for a 270 XT sold under a listing for a canvas bag for a 270 XT MAX does not.
- When no supply time is fixed, goods must be supplied within a reasonable time. When a business advertises a timeframe, that's the benchmark they set themselves.
- If a supplier fails to meet these guarantees, you're entitled to a remedy, and for a major failure that includes a refund to your original payment method. You do not have to accept store credit.
If you've paid by credit card or PayPal and can't get a resolution directly, a chargeback or dispute is a legitimate path. It's the path I've had to take, and if you end up in the same position, document everything: screenshots of the listing, every email, and every tracking record. The card provider will ask for exactly that.
The short version
- Ordered and paid 26 March. Advertised dispatch: 4 weeks.
- Dispatched 9 June. Actual dispatch: 75 days.
- Product received: wrong SKU, wrong material, contradicting the listing's own description.
- Wrong item returned on their prepaid label, received by them 26 August, with a written commitment to refund my original payment method.
- As at 1 October: no refund. Chargeback lodged with American Express.
- Public reviews show I'm far from the only one.
- The Bush Company awning itself remains excellent. The retailer is the problem.
I'll update this post with the outcome of the American Express dispute. Until then, if you're weighing up an order with them, go in with your eyes open, check the reviews first, and pay with a method that gives you dispute protection. You may need it.
Every document referenced in this post (invoice N1340209, order confirmation, support, dispatch and returns emails, both Australia Post tracking records and photos) is retained in full and available.